Dispensing nozzle for liquid dispenser



April 9, 1968 J. s. sAMul-:Ls

DISPENSING NOZZLE FOR LIQUID DISPENSER Filed Feb. 25, 1966 INVENTOR. /qc/f' .5M/r# ffwuas BY RONALD E. BARRY ArroAM/SY 3,376,582. Patented Apr. 9, 1968 3,376,582 DISPENSING NOZZLE FOR LIQUID DISPENSER .lack S. Samuels, Burlington, Wis., assigner to Trim Molded Products Co., Inc. Filed Feb. 23, 1966, Ser. No. 529,525 8 Claims. (Cl. 222-488) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE y downspouts.

This invention relates to a dispensing nozzle for a liquid dispenser.

While the dispensing nozzle of the present invention is adapted for any liquid container, it has particular util-ity as a dispensing nozzle for a bottle of carbonated beverage. Such bottles containing soft drinks are adapted to fit into miniature or toy beverage dispensers or fountains which simulate in outward appearance full scale beverage dispensers used in soda fountains and the like. Most of such beverages are carbonated, although some are not. The dispensing nozzle of the present invention has utility with all such beverage containers, but is has particular utility where the beverage is carbonated so as to foam as itis dispensed from the container.

The -dispensing nozzle of the present invention includes the following important features:

(l) It has a crown seat which is butt joined to the mouth o-f the bottle.

l(2) The Valve and all other parts of the nozzle are outside the bottle mouth so as not to interfere with or 1restrict the iiow of liquid from the container. This as particularly important where the beverage is carbonated and where foaming in the bottle mouth tends to trap the liquid in the bottle.

(3) The nozzle has inner and outer concentric chambers. The inner chamber contains a valve and provides the main path of liquid flow from the bottle mouth. The outer chamber communicates with the inner chamber and provides a space into which foam can escape from the m-ain flo-w of liquids, thus to relieve the back pressure which would otherwise be produced by the foam and interfere with liquid liow.

(4) The inner and outer chambers aforesaid have coaxial communicating discharge spouts so that the liquid content of the foam in the foam relieving chamber is returned to the liquid in the main stream of liquid discharge to be dispensed together therewith into a tumbler or the like.

(5) Unlike prior art devices known to me in which the entire bottle must be tilted to dispense the liquid content thereof, the beverage or liquid container has a housing providing a lixed cradle for the bottle. Accordingly, there is no need to tilt the entire bottle to dispense its contents. The dispenser has a simple actuating lever with motion transmitting connections to a valve within the nozzle to control the dispensing function. This makes it unnecessary for a child to tilt a heavy bottle to dispense its contents. This is a significant factor especially today when large or oversized beverage containing bottles have achieved considerable popularity.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following disclosure in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary cross section taken through a dispensing nozzle embodying the present invention as attached to the mouth of a liquid container, the valve being shown in its .closed position.

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross sect-ion similar to that of FIG. l, but showing the valve in its open position.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross section taken along the line 3 3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view on -a reduced scale showing the dispenser housing or fountain in which the battle is housed.

Although the disclosure hereof is detailed and exact to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, the physical embodiments herein disclosed merely exemplify the invention which may be embodied in other specie structure. The scope of the invention is delined in the claims appended hereto.

The sode `dispenser or fountain 10, shown in FIG. 4, is fabricated to constitute a miniature or toy replica of the soda dispensers which are common in sode fountains, etc. Within the dispenser 10 there is a cradle 11 which will support a bottle 12 in a downwardly inclined position with its crown mouth 13 lower-most, for gravity discharge of liquid content therefrom. The dispenser 10 will accept large or small bottles. A small bottle will ride farther forward on the cradle 11, and a large bottle will ride farther back on the cradle 11. In the disclosed embodiment, the container 12 is a beverage bottle, although the invention is not limited to the specific content or shape of the bottle.

In some prior art dispensers having the general appearance of that shown in FIG. 4, there is no valve to control liquid ow. -In such dispensers the entire bottle is typically tipped between a relatively upright position in which the liquid remains in the bottle by gravity and an inclined p0- sition causing gravity discharge of its liquid content. As bottles become larger, the increased -weight of the bottle and its contents make it more diflicult for a child to tilt the entire bottle.

It is an important advantage of the present invention that the bottle 12 remains stationary. There is no need to lift or tip if in the course of dispensing its liquid content.

The dispensing nozzle 9 of the present invention is desirably made from polystyrene Iplastic with a ten to lifteen percent rubber content for impact strength. The nozzle 9 consists of an inner body or sleeve 14 which has a crowned or lipped seat 15 of Ia diameter substantially at least as great as the diameter of the bottle crown mouth 13. All the nozzle parts are outside the bottle mouth. Accordingly, nothing projects into the mouth of the bottle to obstruct discharge of liquid therefrom.

Sleeve 14 -deiines an inner nozzle chamber or passage 16 in which there is a tapered valve plug 17 which cooperates with a tapered seat portion 20 of the sleeve 14 to selectively close and open the nozzle, as respectively shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing.

The valve plug 17 is mounted on an actuating stem 21 having -at its end opposite the valve plug 17 a cap or button 22 which is guided for reciprocation in the sleeve socket 23 which projects outwardly beyond a partition 19 which denes the end of the inner nozzle passage 16. A seal is not considered necessary between the partition and the actuating stem, but can be added to the present structure if any leakage should occur.

Cap 22 h-as a shoulder 24 against which one end of a helical spring 2:5 bears in thrust engagement to bias the valve plug 17 toward its closed positions, as shown in FIG. 1. The other end of the spring 25 seats on the partition 19.

Dispenser is provided with brackets 26 which project forwardly therefrom and swingably mount a dispensing lever or handle 28 on cross pintle 27. The dispensing handle 28 has a pressure finger 31 which bears on the button 22 to transmit pressure to the valve 17. Down pressure on handle 28 will swing the handle from its position shown in FIG. 1 to its position shown in FIG. 2. This will depress the stem 21 against the bias of spring 25 'and openthe valve .17. When handle pressure is relieved, the spring will close the valve and restore the handle to its FIG. l position.

The cross section of the annular space about valve 17 is quite large, thus to .offer relatively little obstruction to liquid flow through the nozzle. Notwithstanding this advantageous construction, carbonated beverages will foam in the nozzle and the `'bubbles thus produced -will tend to block How. To relieve this blockage and still contain the foam for ultim-ate return to the discharge path of the liquid, I provide a foam escape chamber about the inner ow passage. For this purpose, outer sleeve 32 encircles the inner sleeve '14. The space 33 between the two sleeves 14, 32 provides a foam escape chamber which communicates with the passage 16 through an opening 34 in the top of the inner sleeve. Foam which tends to block passage 16 is pushed by the escaping liquid upwardly into the chamber 33, to relieve any blockage.

The inner sleeve 14 is further provided with a discharge spout 35 through which t-he liquid content of the bottle is dispensed when the valve 17 is open. Spout 35 is concentric within larger spout 36 connected to outer sleeve 32 to return the liquid content of the foam in chamber 33 to the stream of discharging liquid.

As aforest-ated, foam escapes upwardly through the opening 34 into the chamber 33. It is carried around the inner sleeve 14 in the space 33 which is concentric with passage 1-6 and is discharged downwardly through the spout 36. There is a gap 37 between the two spouts 35, 36 through which the liquid content of the foam rejoins the main stream of liquid owing through spout 35. Accordingly, all of the liquid is dispensed through spout 36 into a container, such as tumbler 38. In this manner the back pressure of the foam is relieved without loss of any of the liquid content of the foam.

The nozzle 9 is attached and sealed to the mouth 13 of the bottle 12 by a resilient plastic collar 41 which has anges 42, 43 which embrace the registering lips or crowns 13, 15 on the bottle and nozzle under sucient resilient pressure to seal the parts together in butt relationship. Accordingly, when the valve 17 is closed, no liquid will escape from the nozzle or from the joint between the nozzle and bottle mouth.

When a bottle 12 is purchased, its crown cap is removed, and the dispensing nozzle 9 of the present invention is coupled thereto by the collar 41. It is then placed into the dispenser 10 by inserting the dispensing nozzle through aperture 46 in the wall of the dispenser with its bottom portion supported on the cradle .11. Spout 36 will project through aperture 47 in the wall 48 between brackets 26. The coupling ring 41 has a shoulder iiange 44 (extending oppositely from flange 43) which abuts against a transverse support ledge provided on the inner surface of wall 48 (brackets 26) to support the mouth end of the bottle and to properly locate the plunger cap 22 of the nozzle with respect to the nger 31 of the handle 28. Lip 49 around the lower edge of aperture 46 prevents upward displacement of the bottle when pressure is ap'- plied to button 22.

To dispense liquid, the handle 28 is manipulated `to open the valve. The liquid content of the bottle is discharged through the passage 16 and out of the spout 35. If the beverage is carbonated, its foam content will escape upwardly into the chamber 33 and rejoin the liquid main stream in the spout 36. The passage 16 is amply large to permit reverse ow of air into the bottle to replace the liquid which Hows out of the bottle.

Although only one embodiment is shown and described f' various changes and modications 'can be made herein without departing from the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A dispensing nozzle fora liquid container having a mouth, said nozzle comprising:

a body having a seat engageable with said mouth,

an inner sleeve dening a liquid iiow passage through i the body,

an outer sleeve about the inner sleeve forming a chamber between said sleeves,

a liquid flow control valve in the inner sleeve passage,

an opening in the inner sleeve'connecting the inner sleeve passage with the chamber formed between said sleeves,

an inner discharge spout of substantial length connected to the passage in the inner sleeve,

an outer discharge spout connected to the chamber between the inner and outer sleeves,

said outer discharge spout being about the inner diS- charge spout and in spaced relation thereto.

2. The dispensing nozzle of claim 1 in which the said opening in the inner sleeve is located Iabove the inner discharge spout whereby the chamber between the inner and outer sleeves constitutes a foam escape passage.`

3. The dispenser nozzle of claim 1 in which said container mouth and body seat have butt registering crowns, and a collar with anges embracing said crowns to couple the seat to the mouth.

4. The dispenser nozzle of claim 1 in which the said seat is butt jointed to the mouth of said container all-v parts of the nozzle being outside the contained mouth,

said seat having an internal cross section substantially as` large as the intern-al cross section of the container mouth for free ow of container contents into the nozzle.

5. The dispenser nozzle of claim 1 in which the valve has an actuating stern, said inner sleeve having a valve seat toward and away from which the valve is guided on said stern, a spring about the stem and biasing the stem f and valve to a valve closing -position and valve opening means to open the valve against the bias of the spring.

6. A dispenser nozzle for a downwardly inclined car;

bonated beverage bottle having a crowned mouth at its ydischarge end, said nozzle comprising:

a body having a seat which is butt engageable with the mouth crown of the bottle,

an inner passage within the body having a valve seat,

a valve positioned to engage said valve seat to contain the discharge of lbeverage from the bottle mouth,

an outer passage about said inner passage, an opening connecting said passages to permit escape of foam from the inner passage to the outer passage as the carbonated beverage ows through the nozzle,

a discharge spout of substantial length connected to the inner passage to discharge beverage therefrom,

and -a discharge spout from the outer passage to discharge foam therefrom.

7. The nozzle of claim 6 in which the seat has a crown which registers with the bottle mouth crown, and a resilient coupling collar having angesy which embrace the seat yandv mouth crowns under sealing pressure.

8. The nozzle of claim 6 in which the said inner passage has a tapered wall forming the seat for the valve, said valve comprising a corresponding tapered plug.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 922,198 5/1909 Saunders 222-48815( 1,887,881 l1/1932 Blattnel's 222-488 X 2,197,352 4/194() Terkel 222`488 2,975,806 3/1961 Moen 137-625.17 X

ROBERT B. REEVES, Primaly Examiner.

HADD S. LANE, Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE oF CORRECTION Patent No 3 ,376,582 April 9 1968 Jack S. Samuels It is certified that error appears in the above identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

YColumn l, line l2, "leven" should read level Colun'Z, lines 2O and Z2, "sode", each occurrence, should read soda line 44, "if" should read it line 69, "positions" should read position Column 4, line 56, before "to" insert surrounding and spaced from said'frst named spout,

Signed and sealed this 14th day of October 1969.

(SEAL) Attest:

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr. WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER,

Attesting Officer Commissioner 0f Patents 

